Going beyond one’s call of duty

Written by: Jolin Low

Plastered across the headlines were alarming reports of the healthcare industry's manpower crunch during the COVID-19 pandemic. Toh Guan Ru, then a 19-year old student, felt compelled to help ease the situation.

He decided to reach out to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung via email to offer his assistance. “I did not expect him to reply to me.”

Yet Minister Ong did, and connected Guan Ru with the outreach department’s team. After submitting the necessary application documents, Guan Ru was quickly onboarded as a liaison officer.

Photo Credits: Toh Guan Ru

Guan Ru, now 22, was involved in the Case Management Task Group, providing patient support to young children in the Pediatrics Home Recovery Team. He ensured patients received proper medical assessments and contacted the caregivers of COVID-positive children.

The experience was an eye-opening one. “When I got into the department, I really experienced the high workload and chaos of the COVID-19 situation,” he shared.

Despite pursuing his Polytechnic studies at the time, he balanced his duties and academic commitments by taking school project calls during his breaks at MOH.

Photo Credits: Toh Guan Ru

Further extending his support to the community, Guan Ru also rendered assistance to his estate’s Residents’ Committee. There, he distributed essential items such as masks, hand sanitisers and Trace Together tokens.

Undeterred by the threat of the virus, Guan Ru continued to carry out his duties. “If no one is here (to volunteer) just because we are scared, there will be no volunteers to help them. If residents want to collect masks or hand sanitisers, they are unable to do so,” he said.

His altruistic desire to step up in moments like these stemmed from his earliest encounter with helping the less fortunate. During his Values in Action project in Secondary Three, he visited and distributed care packs to rental blocks in Yishun. Witnessing the dire housing situations of low-income families made him more aware of the plight of the underprivileged living in Singapore.

Photo Credits: Toh Guan Ru

The desire to contribute back to the community was also demonstrated in his academic journey. Guan Ru’s charitable spirit propelled him to pursue a Diploma in Community Development through the Early Admissions Exercise at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, where he graduated from earlier this year.

“At the volunteer stage, we won’t have the resources to know how to interact with [the beneficiaries],” says Guan Ru, adding that the course has equipped him with insights into the social service sector and techniques to communicate effectively with different beneficiaries.

Photo Credit: Toh Guan Ru

He is currently serving his National Service duties as a Supply Supervisor trainee, and is a recipient of the Polytechnic Study Award for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Despite the challenges of juggling his volunteering commitments alongside other responsibilities, he manages by planning his schedule and setting aside time to volunteer on the weekends.

Photo Credit: Toh Guan Ru

Eager to understand the varying viewpoints of youths and to gain insights into policy design, Guan Ru decided to join the youth panels - which provide opportunities for young Singaporeans and the Government to come together to work on and co-create policies. In the programme, he served as a panel lead for #LifeHacks, which devises solutions to tackle the high cost of living for youths. These policy recommendations will be discussed at the Youth Policy Forum held on Aug 24, and submitted to government agencies for evaluation.

The role has allowed him to facilitate member discussions, which honed his leadership skills and prepared him to take on more responsibilities in the SAF. “When I’m tasked to lead my guys in my training sessions, I’m not afraid at all, I will just do it,” he adds.

Photo Credit: Toh Guan Ru

Guan Ru’s charitable disposition is a testament to how youths have the ability to impact the lives of many. He encourages youths to be proactive in taking up volunteering opportunities, adding: “Every opportunity is a learning (experience). The learning can be tiring, but it is fun and beneficial.”

As we celebrate the achievements of young individuals in light of Youth Month, we also see the lengths that youths will go to positively impact their communities. Guan Ru’s story serves as a reminder that ‘You(ths) can do it’ too.

If you are also interested in enacting ideas that will benefit the community, do check out go.gov.sg/youthpolicyforum-here for an enriching experience!